Search

The muse is a fickle mistress. Waiting around for her will only lead to a broken heart. The only way to get ink on paper is by jumping that muse and tying her to your desk. Sure, she will chew on her arm and possibly also yours, but it will be worth it. I mean, the only way to get anything done, is by simply doing it.

Since motivation can be tricky, the key is habit. Writing has to become as easy to do as brushing your teeth. As a child that may have been a chore but we stuck to it and now we don’t even think about it. The wonderful thing about this, is that it doesn’t matter how long the writing lasts. Just like with most things, the more you do it, the better you get at it. Writing is a muscle that needs to be exercised. Exercising for ten minutes is still exercising.

Finding Forrester was on TV today (one of my faves) and it was cool to watch a seasoned author type away on his typewriter within a second of sitting down. His mentee asking him what he was doing, wondering how he shook some amazing prose out of his sleeve within seconds. Because HOW is that even possible? I guess the same as when someone finishes a marathon. With a lot of practice. Whether you try to publish your work or not, the more you write, the better.

So take a notebook with you, or have your laptop within in reach and make sure you have a few moments to jot down whatever your fingers let escape. Your characters will appreciate it. And so will your (future) readers.

Lots of things hold the reader’s attention, but what helps the most is having a story that is unpredictable. I don’t mean random, but just hard to predict. ‘What will happen next?’ is the question that will keep the reader hooked. One of the best ways to do that is by adding a twist, either one big one, or several small ones. Just when you think it’s going one way, do the opposite. You might surprise yourself.

1) The Secret
Every character has a secret, whether a small one or a big one. Write a scene where another character is close to finding out your character has a secret. There are clues and they think they have it figured out until your character confesses something completely different.

2) Routine
As always your female character gets hit by her husband after a night out with his lads. She expects this even though she tries to avoid it. It goes down as it always does, until something unexpected happens. You decide what that is.

3) The Interview
Most people have had interviews in their life and there are certain expectations that come with it. Have your character go to an interview. Only this interview has a little twist.

4) The Meeting
A meeting for addicts. Or is it? What exactly is this meeting? Make it clear through dialogue. What are these characters talking about, and why have they formed a group for it. Reveal it until the very end of the scene.

5) The Jumper
Your character stumbles upon someone who is about to jump. They do their best to talk that person down. But is the person really a jumper? Is their meeting really a coincidence? What is going on here? And what will happen next…